Restaurant profile: Moosehaven Saloon & Grill

Apr. 12, 2013

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Ed Peaco/For the News-Leader

This pretzel burger has jalapeño slices hiding under the thick blanket of cheddar cheese sauce. Ed Peaco/For the News-Leader

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Northland antlered mascot sets fun vibe with serious food.

Michael Boling acquired a sign hanging in his previous restaurant and used it to set the tone for his new place on National Avenue at McDaniel Street.

The sign says simply “Moosehaven.” The theme took on a life of its own.

“It’s been surprising to me to see how many people have some attachment to a moose,” Boling said. The moose-themed logo designed for the restaurant appears on a boldly eye-catching sign out front.

Customers come in and tell moose stories. Hockey players and fans from Minnesota visiting Springfield for a tournament stopped in just because they saw the sign, he said. On another occasion, “there was a couple who said they had an entire room in their basement with nothing but moose stuff.”

Boling enjoys putting on a moose suit and waving to passing motorists on National.

“We don’t take anything too seriously — except our food,” he said.

When Boling planned the menu for Moosehaven Saloon & Grill, he wanted to differentiate from the many specialty restaurants in center city. The result is a widely diverse menu, from a $7.50 hamburger to prime rib for $18.99 — along with salads, wraps, pizza, pasta, seafood and desserts.

Boling served three items for sampling.

Pretzel burger ($8.99): Topped with a heap of jalapeños and an avalanche of cheddar cheese sauce overflowing from the soft pretzel bun. This is a burger that you must eat with a fork, and it delivers satisfaction from the smooth-and-spicy nacho combination. The beef comes freshly prepared from a local butcher, Boling said. The hand-cut fries were cooked to a deep golden brown.

Strawberry pound cake ($4.99): Toasted pound cake, strawberries with a little sugar glaze, and chocolate sauce. This dessert is a simple concoction that may remind you of home, but the toasty texture of the pound cake changes everything — a hint of crunch among the soft and gooey sweetness.

Boling praised his cooks and chef David La Macchia for handling the logistics of the different cook times of the diverse menu items. The cooks have been working with Boling for at least two years, he said, and many of his staff have been together for 10 years.

While Boling prefers to work in the front of the house, getting to know customers, his staff presents good food and an enjoyable experience, he said, calling it “havin’ some moose fun.”